People undergoing home isolation and quarantine will be allowed to apply to leave their houses for one hour to visit close family members in serious medical conditions or to attend their funerals, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Saturday.
The applications, which will be handled by local government health departments, will allow the applicants to visit close family members who may be hospitalized in serious condition or to attend the funerals of close family, said Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who also heads the CECC, at a daily press briefing.
The person making the request will need to be symptom-free for at least five days since the start of their quarantine and must also gain permission from the hospital that their relatives are in, and must then be tested by local health departments, Chen said.
Should a negative test be received, the person can visit within two days of receiving their negative result, Chen said, adding that the total amount of time given for the visit is one hour. "Applicants must wear surgical masks and maintain social distancing at all times. They also cannot use public transportation," Chen said.
Currently, there are a total of 18 hospitals and medical institutions in Taiwan that provide tests for COVID-19, which the applicants will need to pay for by themselves, Chen said.
To date, there are some 700 people under home isolation and 9,300 under home quarantine, according to CECC statistics.
People undergoing home isolation or quarantine are required to stay in their homes or designated places of quarantine for 14 days and are not allowed to leave without special approval. Breaking these rules can incur penalties of up to NT$1 million (US$33,223).
Taiwan had a total of 429 COVID-19 patients, according to CECC statistics as of Saturday.